Truss



R. E. MERRITT May 7, 194.0.

THUS 5 Filed Feb. 6. 1939 3nuentor.

fdZD/Z ZZ/Her \Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED. STATES TRUSS Ralph E. Merritt, Liberty, Mo., assignor to Physicians Appliance Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application February 6, 1939, Serial No. 254,869

1 Claim.

This invention relates to hernia trusses of that general type involving the use of a pad carried by and adjustable relatively to a curved or bowed spring which reaches partially around the body by arching over the ilium, and a flexible strap suitably connected at its opposite ends to the pad and spring. I

The conventional truss of the above type also includes a helical spring between and pressing oppositely against the pad and the adjacent bow spring to offer yielding resistance to tilting movements of the pad occasioned by muscular movements of the abdomen and abdominal wall, in response to changes of position or movements of the wearer. It has been found that the conventional truss mentioned is sometimes too limited in its pivotal or tilting movement, or the axis of such movement is at the wrong angle, to afford fully properly applied pressure at all times.

It is my primary object, therefore, to so mount the front or hernia pad that it has maximum and universal tilting movement in every direction, and also is rotatable to move in cooperation with or independently of the tilting movement, the turning movement incidentally making provision for pull of the strap in substantially radial alinement with the hernia pad, so that the strap shall have no tendency to twist and apply uncomfortable pressure on the wearer. The mounting of the front or hernia pad to have maximum tilting and rotative movement and a yielding pressure at or adjacent the rupture, comprises the interposition of a ball joint between the helical spring carrying the pad, and the adjacent extremity of the bowed spring, and this arrangement gives the cooperative relation mentioned to said parts, and avoids the necessity with the conventional type of truss, of distorting the bowed spring near the end carrying the front or hernia pad, in the endeavor to provide for proper relation of the pad to the point of rupture and to the sustaining belt. I

With the general objects named in view and others as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain new and useful features of construction and combination of parts as hereinafter described and claimed and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front View of the appliance as it appears in operative relation to a wearer.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the same.

Figure 3 is a full size vertical section of the hernia pad mounting ,to provide for tilting and axial rotation turning of said pad.

Figure 4 is an outer or front View of the circular plate or disk to which the hernia pad and the helical spring are secured.

bearing against the wearers back.

In the said drawing, l is a stiff spring metal bar of bowed form for arching over the ilium or hip, and 2 a rubberor equivalent sheath thereon to prevent direct contact between the wearers body or clothing and the metal of the spring bar. To one end of said spring bar for disposal in proximity to the back of the wearer, a pin 3 is secured, and said pin has a ball head 4. A pair of plates 5 and 6, secured flatly together, are formed centrally with a spherical socket I receiving said ball head 4, and retaining it against dislocation without interfering with rotation or tilting action of said plates relative to the bowed spring I. Secured to the front member of the two plates is a pad 8.

At the front end of the bowed spring bar I, is the front pad 9, and forming a part thereof is a metal plate l0 provided with a plurality of loops Ii engaged by the base of a conical helical spring l2. The plate It near its perimeter is equipped with a button It for engagement with a wire or equivalent loop l4 secured to a strap l5 attached atits opposite end to the rear end of the spring member I.

The small end of the helical spring engages a series of loops l6 stamped from a disk ll, secured flatly by screws I8 to a second disk i9, the two disks being oppositely bowed centrally to constitute the socket member of a ball and socket joint, the ball member 20 having a stem 2i projecting from disk l9 and secured to the front end of the bowed spring I.

When the appliance is fitted upon the body, the compression exerted by the bowed spring arching over the ilium, holds the pads firmly against the wearer, and the flexible strap cooperates in that it resists creepage or slippage.

It will be noted in this connection that the capacity of the front or hernia pad for rotation, permits the strap to exert its restraining force a in the radial plane of the pad, as the button,

if not initially in such plane, will be disposed therein by the tension of the strap, although by tightly clamping the ball in its socket the tilting or rotation of the joint can be avoided in order to preserve any set position of adjustment that Q may be desired, when the truss has been properly fitted to the wearer.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a construction embodying all of the features of advantage set forth as desirable, and while I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to all changes within the spirit of the invention and without the ambit of the prior art.

I claim:

A hernia truss comprising a bowed spring for arching over the ilium of the wearer, a ball and socket joint carried by one end of said bowed spring, a helical spring secured at one end to said ball and socket joint for rocking movement relative to the bowed spring, and a truss pad attached to the free end of the helical spring, movements of the truss pad being transmitted to the ball and socket joint and to the bowed d;

spring solely through the instrumentality of said helical spring. I

RALPH E. MERRITT. 

